MAYOR Belen Fernandez was given a rousing applause when she told during the BOI (Board of Investment) Domestic Roadshow for the Stakeholders of Pangasinan on July 19 at Lenox Hotel that Dagupan City is “red tape-free” and has no history of corruption at all, ever since she came to office.

“This is the best incentive we can offer you in Dagupan”, Fernandez told the forum attended by prospective investors from Pangasinan and Manila.

She urged them to ask present investors, among them major companies in Manila, if  any city official had required them to shell out a single centavo for the approval of their permits to operate in the city.

She cited Filinvest which is set to build 13 condominium buildings in the old Lucao Road, the Almera Subdivision or Sta. Lucia Realty whose housing units are already sold out and currently looking for other properties to develop, the Golden Dragon Corporation that set up the City Mall on Barangay Mayombo and SM Inc. now building SM Central Dagupan.

She added that the Banco de Oro is establishing its regional center at the former Vicar Hotel, while an IT (Information Technology) center will be put up by USATV, and a grand terminal, several warehouses and IKEA in the city.

She also mentioned the Waste to Worth Project in partnership with a foreign company that will convert plastic and food wastes into diesel fuel and gas and Max Restaurant at eh corner of Perez Boulevard and Burgos Street.

“What we will only require of you once you begin operating is to give jobs to our fellow Dagupenos,” Fernandez said. And in return, she said the city is willing to give investors two years exemption from paying their real property taxes.

She said the Dagupan Investment and Development Board approves applications for permits of would be investors in one sitting after stating their projects, the kind of jobs that will be offered and how many.

The mayor also described the city’s three new growth centers identified in the City’s new Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP) as locations for their investments, namely, Pantal-Lucao area, the Bonuan area as well as the Tambac, Mangin, Salisay, Tebeng area.

She told the audience that new government center will be located in the Pantal-Lucao area while the Tondaligan Park, which is currently undergoing redevelopment with the construction of a P125 million board walk by the Department of Public Works and Highways, is located in Bonuan area.

She added that the Bangus Festival attracted close to one million people, foreign and local tourists. (Leonardo Micua)

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